Introduction to

VEDIC CHANTING

Pandit Ub.Ve Sri Rama Ramanuja Achari

srimatham.com
13:09:2013
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IN T R O D U C T IO N
PARIS, FRANCE, November 12, 2003: The oral tradition of Vedic chanting has been
declared an intangible heritage of humanity by UNESCO. In a meeting of jury members on
November 7, 2003, at Paris, Mr. Koichiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO, declared
the chanting of Vedas in India an outstanding example of heritage and form of cultural
expressions. The proclamation says that in the age of globalization and modernization when
cultural diversity is under pressure, the preservation of oral tradition of Vedic chanting, a
unique cultural heritage, has great significance.

The jury members included Dr. Richard Kurin, Director of the Center for Folklore and
Cultural Heritage of the Smithsonian Institution (United Nations), Mr. Juan Goytisolo, Writer
(Spain), Mr. Yoshikazu Hasegawa (Japan), Ms. Olive W.M. Lewin. Pianist,
ethnousicologist, Director of the Jamaica Orchestra for Youth (Jamaica).

The UNESCO declaration will bring international recognition to the excellence of the Vedic
chanting tradition of India, which has survived for centuries encoding the wisdo contained
in the Vedas through an extraordinary effort of memorization and through elaborately worked
out mnemonic methods. The purity and fail-safe technique devised for Vedic chanting in the
olden days led to access to one of the ancient literatures of humanity in its entirety today.

The Department of Culture, Ministry of Tourism and Culture, took the initiative to put up the
candidature of the Vedic chanting to UNESCO. A presentation was prepared by Indira
Gandhi National Centre for Arts. The Department has also prepared a five-year action plan to
safeguard, protect, proote and disseminate the oral tradition of Vedas in terms of their
uniqueness and distinctiveness, encourage scholars and practitioners to preserve, revitalize
and proote their own branch of Vedic recitation as the custodians of their own traditions
and direct the efforts primarily to making the tradition survive in its own context.
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T
he Veda is considered to be infinite [ananto vai vedh] in the beginning of creation there
was only one Veda and the number of revealed texts was far greater than we could
imagine, during the course of time due to the diminishing intelligence of mankind as
well as declining in strength health and loss of faith, many texts were lost and the Veda that is
known today is a mere fraction of the original Veda.

Towards the close of the Dvpara Yuga, it is believed, the Lord manifested as the sage Veda
Vysa, who in order to save the Veda fro extinction, re-edited the Veda dividing it into 4 units.
Each unit was assigned to different classes of brahmins so that it would be easier to preserve
them. These 4 books are known as the Rik, Yajur, Sma and Atharvana Vedas. Seeing that only
the first 3 orders of society had access to the Vedas this excluded over half the population which
consisted of women and Sdras fro spiritual knowledge. It is for their benefit that the Holy
Sage compiled the Puras and the Itihsas [Rmyaa and Mahbhrata which is known as the
Fifth Veda].

Had it not been for the work of this great Rishi, humankind with its deteriorating intellectual
capacity would have forgotten this massive sacred heritage. Veda Vysa had 4 disciples and to
each of them he taught one Veda. Paila mastered the Rik veda, Jaimini the Sma Veda,
Vaiampyana the Yajur Veda and the Atharvana Veda was learnt by Sumantu. Roaharana was
entrusted with the duty of transmitting the Puras and Itihsas.

The Vedas transmitted by these sages to their disciple and in turn by the latter to theirs resulted
in the Vedas becoming diversified into many branches or schools through the disciplic
succession.

Each of the Vedas is divided into Sahita, Brhmaa, Arayaka and Upaiad. The Sahita is
the text which comprises of hymns used in the sacrifices. The Brhmaas are the theological
treatises which deal with the sacrificial details and gives the interpretation of the ritual. The
Arayakas and the Upaiads deal with a variety of topics related mainly to cosmology and
philosophy.

In addition each Vedic school had its own Ghya Stra which dealt with the performances of the
domestic rites and sacraments and its own rauta stra which dealt with the public rituals and
sacrifices of national import.
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VEDIC CHANT

T
he Vedic Chant is the oldest form of psalmody known. Very strict and complex methods of
instruction have made it possible to preserve the ritual chant unchanged, despite thousands of
years of wars, conquests and social upheavals.

The Rig Veda is chanted on 3 notes, the Yajur Veda on up to 5 notes and the Sma Veda on 7 notes.
The Sma is the only chant that is considered really musical per se and as such is considered to be
inferior to the other two Vedas. Because of it's 'worldly' character it is often forbidden in certain
rituals. It is also prescribed that if the Sma Veda is heard while the other two are being recited then
the recitation should stop immediately and only continue after the Sma has terminated.

According to the Taittiriya Upaiad ik-vai there are 6 main factors that need to be taken into
consideration:

1. Vara pronunciation
Correct pronunciation of the letters of the alphabet.
Differentiation between short and long vowels.
Sandhi Anusvara () changes according to the letter that follows it.

When followed by changes to

ka kha ga gha a
ca cha ja jha a
a ha a ha a
ta tha da dha na n
pa pha ba bha ma m
Any vowel
sa a a ha ya ra gu
samyukta akara (combined letter) gg

Visarga () also changes

When followed by sa, a, a, the visarga changes into those letters.
When followed by a p it changes into pha

2. Svara notes
The sma veda uses 7 musical notes.
Chanting of the k, yajur and atharvana veda is done using 3 notes only.
 5

Udtta the raised note indicated in the text by a vertical stroke over the letter.
(a)
Anudtta the lowered note indicated by a line under the letter.
(a)
Svarita the neutral drone which is not indicated in the text
(a)
Nigdha a deviant note which is based on the udtta and is like a double udtta
with the second being slight raised above the first. In the ka yajur veda it is usually
(a)
marked by double perpendicular stokes above the letter.
The udtta changes into a nigdha in the following situations:
When a mantra ends in a long udtta
When a mantra ends in a anusvara which carries the udtta
When the udtta is followed by a samyuktkara (combined letter such as k, stha, tv,
r, etc.
3. Mtra duration
ardha half when a word ends in a halanta.

hrasva short (the short vowels a, i, u, & )

drgha long (, , , e, ai o & au sometimes indicated by the digit 2 after the letter in a
text)
pluta extra long indicated by the digit 3 after the syllable

UIU3 UI3 |
4. Balam emphasis
Alpa pra soft these are all the regular vowels and consonants.

Mah pra hard these are all the aspirated consonants also a and ha.

5. Sma continuity
One must ensure a continuity and smooth flow of the chanting.
6. Santna punctuation
One must pause at the appropriate places - commonly indicated by (|)
In addition a slight pause is required:
After chanting OM
When a word ends in a vowel and is followed by a vowel.
When a visarga () is followed by ka
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All the Vedic texts as well as in two Brhmaas Taittiriya [and its Arayaka] and the
atapatha Brhmaa [including the Bhadarayaka Upaiad] are marked with the accent
[svara].
The Vedic chant is based upon these accents or svaras and consists of basically 3 notes; The
chief tone is the Udtta [raised] the other two being the Svarita [drone] and the Anudtta
[low].

Textual Markings;
There are 4 different methods of marking the svaras in the texts. In the Rik, Yajur and
Atharva Vedas and the Taittiriya Sahita & Brhmana the svarita is not marked at all
because it is the middle pitch.

The preceding anudtta is marked by a horizontal stroke below the syllable, and the
following udtta is marked by a perpendicular stroke above the syllable, two perpendicular
strokes together mean that there is an elongated double raised sound -nigdha. In some texts
the udtta is marked by a crescent above the syllable, when this is done then the elongated
double sound is marked by a singular perpendicular line.
The place of the principle accent the svarita is governed by grammatical rules. A udtta
always follows an svarita and is called the 'enclitic udtta. When an svarita is lost due to an
euphonic combination [sandhi] of the vowel into the corresponding semi-vowel e.g. kva =
kua then the udtta is called the 'independent udtta.
When an independent udtta is placed immediately before an svarita then it is accompanied
by the numeral 1 if the vowel is short and by the numeral 3 if the vowel is long; the numeral
itself being marked with both the udtta and the anudtta.
In the Sma Veda the figures 1, 2, & 3 are written above the accented syllable to mark the
svarita, udtta, & anudtta respectively.
When there are 2 successive svarita then the second is not marked but the following udttas
has a 2r written above. The independent udtta is also marked with a 2r, and the preceding
anudtta is marked with a 3k.
A peculiar feature of the Vedic chant is that the anusvara changes to a GU before the
following letters; a, ha, sa, sa, & r.

Example; sahita = saguhita, (` = ` )

pada sad = padagu sad (U` I = U` I )
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Vedic recitation has assumed two distinct forms that evolved to preserve its immutable
character: Prkti and Vikti with sub-forms.
The pda pha forms the basis of a number of special recitations known as 'vikriti' or
'crooked' recitations. The text is recited backwards or forwards or the successive words are
chanted in specific combinations. These were originally designed to prevent the student fro
forgetting even one letter of the text, however through the ages these mnemonic techniques
became an end in themselves.
Prkti
1. Sahita pha continuous recitation

F U UIU U@ U IU I |
2. Pda pha word for word recitation 1/2/3/4/5
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

| | | @ | | | | |
vsyam ida sarva yat kica jagaty jagat
3. Krama pha words recited in pairs 1 2 / 2 3 / 3 4 / 5 6 / 7 8 /.......
1+2 2+3 3+4 4+5 5+6
vsyam vsyam ida idagu sarva sarva yat yat kica

In the Prkti form the words do not change their sequence

Vikti
There are 8 traditional vikriti combinations which are;
ja; 1 2 2 1 1 2 / 2 3 3 2 2 3 / 3 4 4 3 3 4 / 4 5 5 4 4 5 / .........
ml; 1 2 / 2 1 / 1 2 / 2 3 / 3 2 / 2 3 / 3 4 / 4 3 / 3 4 / ........
ikh; 1 2 2 1 1 2 3 / 2 3 3 2 2 3 4 / 3 4 4 3 3 4 5 / 4 5 5 4 4 5 6 / ..........
rekh; 12/21/12/234/432/23/3456/6534/34/45678/87654/
4 5 / 5 6 7 8 9 10 / 10 9 8 7 6 5 / 5 6 / ......
dhvaja; 1 2 / 99 100 / 2 3 / 98 99 / 3 4 / 97 98 / 4 5 / 97 98 / 5 6 / 96 97 / ....... 97 98 / 3
4 / 98 99 / 2 3 / 99 100 / 1 2 .
daa; 12/21/12/23/321/12/23/34/4321/12/23/34/45/5432
1 ................
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.
ratha; 12/56/21/65/12/56/23/67/321/765/12/56/23/67/34
/ 7 8 / 4 3 2 1 / 8 7 6 5 /.....
ghana; 1 2 2 1 1 2 3 3 2 1 1 2 3 / 2 3 3 2 2 3 4 4 3 2 2 3 4 / 3 4 4 3 3 4 5 5 4 3 3 4 5 / ........

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In India today there are 3 distinctive styles of Vedic chant;
1. Maharra Brahmins
2. Tamil Brahmins
3. Nambudiri Brahmins of Kerala
The northern tradition is characterized by a preponderance of the Sukla Yajur Veda of the
Madhydina recension, The Rik Veda of the Sakala recension and Sma Veda of the
Kauthuma Ranayaniya recension and very little Atharva Veda.

The Southern tradition is characterized by the Ka Yajur Veda of the Taittiriya recension,
along with the Rik and Sma Vedas of the same school. Atharva Veda is non-existent in the
south.

In the Nambudiri tradition the Rik Veda belongs entirely to the Vskala recension
[Kauitaki]. The Yajur Veda is exclusively Taittiriya but the recitation differs fro that of the
Tamils. The Sma Veda belongs entirely to the Jaiminiya school which is not found
elsewhere.

MUDRAS

When teaching the method of chanting there are certain movements of the hands which are
designed to help the memory;

1. udtta - right hand to shoulder

anudtta - hand to knee
svarita - hand moved to 45 degree angle to the body

2. udtta - head up
anudtta - head down
svarita - head turned slightly to the side
 9
3. udtta - palm turned up
anudtta - palm down
svarita - hand moved horizontaly to the right

4. udtta - thumb on index finger

anudtta - thumb on little finger
svarita - thumb on ring finger
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C
Chhaannddaass
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Rhyme is not used in the Rig-veda.
The metres are regulated by the number of syllables akaras in the stanza (k), which
consists generally of 3 or four Pdas, measures, divisions, or quarter verses, with a distinctly
marked interval at the end of the second Pda, and so forming two semi-stanzas of varying
length.

The most common metres consist of 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, syllables (akaras) is each pda these
are known as anuubh, bhati, pakti, triup, jagati.

The anutubh is the prevailing form of metre in the Dharma-sastras, the Mahabharata, the
Ramayana, and all the Puranas.

The Pdas of a stanza are generally of equal length and of more or less corresponding
prosodial quantities: but sometimes two or more kinds of metre are employed in one stanza,
and then the Pdas vary in quantity and length.

Summary of the Metres

1. Astup, anuup or Anuubh: 4 Pdas of 8 akaras each, 2 Pdas forming a line.

Jayanti magal kali, bhadra kal kaplin |

durg iv kam dhtr, svh svadh namostu te ||

2. Tristup or Tristubh: = 4 Pdas of 11 akaras each.

gurn ahatv hi mahnubhvn

reyo bhoktu bhaikyam apha loke |
hatvrtha kms tu gurn ihaiva
bhujya bhogn rudhira-pradigdhn || 5 ||

3. Pakti: 5 Pdas of 8 akaras like Anuup with an additional Pda.

4. Gyatri: the stanza usually consists of 24 akaras, variously arranged, but generally as a triplet of 3
Pdas of 8 akaras each, or in one line of 16 akaras and a second line of 8.

o tatpuruya vidmahe |
mahdevya dhmahi |
tanno rudra pracodayt ||
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Brhati: 4 Pdas ( 8 + 8 + 12 + 8) containing 36 akaras in the stanza.

Jagati: 48 akaras arranged in 4 Pdas of 12 akaras each, 2 Pdas forming a line or hemistich.

Anuup Pipilikamadhya: a species of Anuup, having the second Pda shorter than the
first and third (8 akaras+ 4+8+ 8).
Anuub-garbha: a metre of the Usnih class: the first Pda containing 5 akaras, and the 3
following Pdas of 8 akaras each.
Nastarupi: a variety of Anuup.
Asti: consisting of 4 Pdas of 16 akaras each, or 64 akaras in the stanza.
Astrapaikti: consisting of 2 Pdas of 8 akaras each, followed by two Pdas of 12 akaras
each.
Atidhrti: 4 Pdas of 19 akaras each = 76 akaras.
Atincrti: consisting of 3 Pdas containing respectively seven, six, and seven akaras.
Atiakvari: 4 Pdas of 15 akaras each.
Atyasti: 4 Pdas of 17 akaras each.
Brhati: 4 Pdas ( 8 + 8 + 12 + 8) containing 36 akaras in the stanza.
Purastadbrhati: a variety of Brhati with twelve akaras in the first Pda.
Caturvimsatika Dvipda: a Dvipda containing 24 akaras instead of 20.
Dhrti: consisting of seventy-two akaras in a stanza.
Ekapda Tristup: a Trstup consisting of a single Pda or quarter stanza.
Ekapda Viraj: a Viraj consisting of a single Pda.
Gyatri: the stanza usually consists of 24 akaras, variously arranged, but generally as a
triplet of 3 Pdas of eight akaras each, or in one line of sixteen akaras and a second line of
eight.
There are eleven varieties of this metre, and the number of akaras in the stanza varies
accordingly fro nineteen to 33.
Dvipda Viraj: a species of Gyatri consisting of two Pdas only (12+8 or 10+10 akaras);
inadequately represented in the translation by two decasyllabic iambic lines.
Vardhamana: a species of Gayatri; 6 + 7 + 8 = 21 akaras.
Jagati: a metre consisting of 48 akaras arranged in 4 Pdas of twelve akaras each, two
Pdas forming a line or hemistich which in the translation is represented by a double
Alexandrine.

Atijagati: 4 Pdas of 13 akaras each.

 12
Kakup or Kakubh: a metre of 3 Pdas consisting of 8, 12, and 8 akaras respectively.
Kakubh Nyakusira; consisting of 3 Pdas of 9+12+4 akaras.
Krti: a metre of 4 Pdas. of 20 akaras each.
Madhyejyotis: a metre in which a Pda of 8 akaras stands between two Pdas of 12.
Mahibrhati: 4 Pdas of 8 akaras each, followed by one of 12.
Mahapdapakti: a 2-lined metre of 31 akaras, the first line consisting of 4 Pdas of five
akaras each, and the second being a Tristup of the usual eleven akaras.
Mah-pakti: a metre of forty-eight akaras 8 x 6 or 12 x 4.
Nyakusarini: a metre of 4 Pdas of 8 + 12 + 8 + 8 akaras.
Pdanicrt: a variety of Gayatri in which one syllable is wanting in each Pda: 7+3=21
akaras.
Pdapakti: a metre consisting of 5 Pdas of 5 akaras each.
Pakti: a metre of 5 Pdas of 8 akaras like Anuup with an additional Pda.
Paktyuttara: a metre which ends with a Pakti of 5 + 5 akaras.
Pipilikamadhya: any metre the middle Pda of which is shorter than the preceding and the
following.
Pragatha: a metre in Book VIII, consisting of strophes combining two verses, viz. a Brhati
or Kakup followed by a Satobrhati.
Prastarapakti: a metre of forty akaras: 12+12+8+8
Pratistha: a metre of 4 Pdas of 4 akaras each; also a variety of the Gyatri consisting of 3
Pdas of eight, seven, and six akaras respectively.
Pura-usnih: a metre of 3 Pdas, containing 12+8+8 akaras.
Sakvari: a metre of 4 Pdas of 14 akaras each.
Satobrhati: a metre whose even Pdas contain eight akaras each, and the uneven twelve:
12+8+12+8=40.
Mahasatobrhati: a lengthened form of Satobrhati.
Skandhogriva: consisting of Pdas of 8 + 12 + 8 + 8 akaras.
Tanusira: consisting of 3 Pdas of 11 + 11 + 6 akaras.
Abhisarini: a species of Trstup, in which two Pdas contain twelve instead of eleven akaras.
Uparistadbrhati: consisting of 4 Pdas of 12 + 8 + 8 + 8 akaras.

Uparistajjyotis: a Tristup stanza the last Pda of which contains only eight akaras.
Urdhvabrhati: a variety of Brhati.
 13
Urobrhati: a variety of Brhati: 8+12 8 + 8 akaras.
Usniggarbha: Gayatri of 3 Pdas of six, seven, and eleven akaras respectively.
Usnih: consisting of 3 Pdas of 8 + 8 + 12 akaras.
Viraj: a metre of 4 Pdas of ten akaras each.
Viparita: a metre of 4 Pdas resembling Vistarapakti.
Viradrupa: a Tristup metre of 4 Pdas, 11 + 11 + 11 + 7 or 8 akaras.
Viratpurva: a variety of Tristup.
Viratsthana: a variety of Tristup.
Visamapda: metre of uneven stanzas.
Vistarabrhati: a form of Brhati of 4 Pdas containing 8 + 10 + 10 + 8= 36 akaras.
Vistarapakti: a form of Pakti consisting of 4 pdas of 8+12+12+8-40 akaras.
Yavamadhya: a metre having a longer Pda between two shorter ones.
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(The traditional method of instruction is for the teacher to pronounce once and the
students to repeat twice)

o | 1 |
o nama |
o namo nama |
o namo nama o |
o namo nama o o |
o namo nama o o nama ||

m | 2 |
m aham |
m aham - aham |
m aham - aham m |
m aham - aha m m |
m aham - aha m m - aha |

mayi | 3 |
mayi medhm |
mayi medh medhm |
mayi medh medh mayi |
mayi medh medh mayi mayi |
mayi medh medh mayi mayi medhm ||

srya | 4 |
sryo bhrja |
sryo bhrjo bhrja |
sryo bhrjo bhrjas srya |
sryo bhrjo bhrjas sryas srya |
sryo bhrjo bhrjas sryas sryo bhrja ||

aham | 5 |
aham - annam |
aham - annam - annam |
aham - annam annam - aham |
aham - annam annam - aham - aham |
aham - annam annam - aham - aham - annam ||
 15

nama | 6 |
nama-ivya |
nama-ivya ivya |
nama-ivya ivya nama |
nama-ivya ivya namo nama |
nama-ivya ivya namo nama-ivya ||

savitu | 7 |
savitur vareyam |
savitur vareya vareyam |
savitur vareya vareyagu savitu |
savitur vareya vareyagu savitus-savitu |
savitur vareya vareyagu savitus savitur vareyam ||

aham | 8 |
aha mana |
aha mano mana |
aha mano mano aham |
aha mano mano aham - aham |
aha mano mano aham - aha mana ||

oadhaya | 9 |
oadhayas-sam |
oadhayas-sagu sam |
oadhayas-sagu sam - oadhaya |
oadhayas-sagu sam - oadhaya oadhaya |
oadhayas-sagu sam - oadhaya oadhayas sam ||

bhrja | 10 |
bhrjo dadhtu |
bhrjo dadhtu dadhtu |
bhrjo dadhtu dadhtu bhrja |
bhrjo dadhtu dadhtu bhrjo bhrja |
bhrjo dadhtu dadhtu bhrjo bhrjo dadhtu ||

aham |11|
aha pram |
aha pra pram |
aha pra pram - aham |
 16
aha pra pram - aham - aham |
aha pra pram - aham - aha pram ||

mayi | 12 |
mayi srya |
mayi sryas-srya |
mayi sryas-sryo mayi |
mayi sryas-sryo mayi mayi |
mayi sryas-sryo mayi mayi srya ||

ca | 13 |
ca nama |
ca namo nama |
ca namo namaca |
ca namo namaca ca |
ca namo namaca ca nama |

aham | 14 |
aha vijnam |
aha vijna vijnam |
aha vijna vijnam aha |
aham vijna vijnam aha - aham |
aham vijna vijnam aham - aha vijnam ||

kavim | 15 |
kavi kavnm |
kavi kavn kavnm |
kavi kavn kavn kavim |
kavi kavn kavn kavi kavim |
kavi kavn kavn kavi kavi kavnm |

atyu | 16 |
atyu (f) purua |
atyu (f) purua (f) purua |
atyu (f) purua (f) purua-atyu |
atyu (f) purua (f) purua-atyu-atyu |
atyu (f) purua (f) purua-atyu-atyu (f) purua ||

aham | 17 |
aham - nandam |
 17
aham - nandam - nandam |
aham - nandam - nandam - aham |
aham - nandam - nandam - aham - aham |
aham - nandam - nandam - aham - aham - nandam ||

dev | 18 |
dev budhyante |
dev budhyante budhyante |
dev budhyante budhyante dev |
dev budhyante budhyante dev dev |
dev budhyante budhyante dev dev budhyante ||

o namo prya prya nama o | 19 |

o namo apnya apnya nama o |
o namo vynya vynya nama o |
o namo udnya udnya nama o |
o namo samnya samnya nama o | oggas svh ||

o pra me udhyantm | 20 |
o pna me udhyantm |
o vyna me udhyantm |
o samn me udhyantm |
o udna me udhyantm |
o sarva paca me udhyantm |
o prpna vynodna samn me udhyantm ||

o bh - bhmyai nama | 21 |
o va - varuya nama |
o ram - agnaye nama |
o ya - vyave nama |
o ham - kya nama |
o am - tmya nama ||

o mitrya nama | 23 |
o ravaye nama |
o sryya nama |
o bhnave nama |
o khagya nama |
o pe nama |
o hiraya-garbhya nama |
 18
o marcaye nama |
o dityya nama |
o savitre nama |
o arkya nama |
o bhskarya nama ||

Laghu Nysa
agnir me vci rita | vg-hdaye | hdaya mayi | aham amte |
amta brahmai || 1 ||
vyur me pre rita | pro hdaye | hdaya mayi | aham amte |
amta brahmai || 2 ||
sryo me cakui rita | cakur hdaye | hdaya mayi | aham amte |
amta brahmai || 3 ||
candram me manasi rita | mano hdaye | hdaya mayi | aham
amte | amta brahmai || 4 ||
dio me rotre rit | rotragu hdaye | hdaya mayi | aham amte
| amta brahmai || 5 ||
po me retasi rit | reto hdaye | hdaya mayi | aham amte |
amta brahmai || 6 ||
pthiv me arre rit | arragu hdaye | hdaya mayi | aham
amte | amta brahmai || 7 ||
oadhi vanaspatayo me loasu rit | loni hdaye | hdaya mayi |
aham amte | amta brahmai || 8 ||
indro me bale rit | balagu hdaye | hdaya mayi | aham amte |
amta brahmai || 9 ||
parjanyo me mrdhni rita | mrdho hdaye | hdaya mayi | aham
amte | amta brahmai || 10 ||
 19

no me manyau ritah | manyur hdaye | hdaya mayi | aham

amte | amta brahmai ||
tm ma tmani rita | tm hdaye | hdaya mayi | aham amte |
amta brahmai || 11 ||
punar ma tm punar yurgt | puna pra punar ktam gt |
vaivnaro ramabhir-v-vdhna | antas-tithatv-amtasya gop ||

Virja Homa mantras

prpa vynodna samna me udhyant
jyotir-aha viraj vippm bhysaggas svh ||

By this oblation may all my vital forces become purified. I pray that I may become filled with the
supreme Light bereft of all obstructing karma and their cause: the desires that I harbour.

vg mana-caku-rotra-jihv-ghra-reto-budhy-ktis sakalp
me udhyant jyotir-aha viraj vippm bhysaggas svh ||

By this oblation may my speech, mind, sight, taste, smell, seed, intellect, intention and aim become
purified. I pray that I may become filled with the supreme Light bereft of all obstructing karma
and their cause: the desires that I harbour.

tvak-carma-mgsa-rudhira-medo-majj-snyavo-sthni
me udhyant jyotir-aha viraj vippm bhysaggas svh ||

By this oblation may my seven bodily components become purified. I pray that I may become filled
with the supreme Light bereft of all obstructing karma and their cause: the desires that I harbour.

ira-pi-pda-prva-phor-udara-jagh-ino-pastha-pyavo
me udhyant jyotir-aha viraj vippm bhysaggas svh ||

By this oblation may limbs, head, hands, feet, sides, back, thighs, abdomen, shanks, generative
organs and the rectum all become purified. I pray that I may become filled with the supreme Light
bereft of all obstructing karma and their cause: the desires that I harbour.

uttiha purua harita pigala lohitki dehi dehi dadpayit

me udhyant jyotir-aha viraj vippm bhysaggas svh ||
 20
O Divine Person, who is dark blue and brown, with red eyes, make hast to favour me. Grant that I
may become purified. Grant me knowledge, and purity through the medium of my preceptor. May
my thoughts become purified. I pray that I may become filled with the supreme Light bereft of all
obstructing karma and their cause: the desires that I harbour.

pthivyap-tejo-vyur-k me udhyant
jyotir-aha viraj vippm bhysaggas svh ||

By this oblation may the five constituent elements of my body become purified. I pray that I may
become filled with the supreme Light bereft of all obstructing karma and their cause: the desires
that I harbour.

abda spara rpa rasa gandh me udhyant

jyotir-aha viraj vippm bhysaggas svh ||

By this oblation may the qualities of sound, touch, vision, taste, and smell become purified. I pray
that I may become filled with the supreme Light bereft of all obstructing karma and their cause:
the desires that I harbour.

mano-vk-kya karmi me udhyant

jyotir-aha viraj vippm bhysaggas svh ||

By this oblation may all the acts accomplished through body, speech and mind become purified. I
pray that I may become filled with the supreme Light bereft of all obstructing karma and their
cause: the desires that I harbour.

avyakta-bhvair-ahakrair jyotir-aha
viraj vippm bhysaggas svh ||
May I not have any suppressed feelings of egoism. I pray that I may become filled with the supreme
Light bereft of all obstructing karma and their cause: the desires that I harbour.

tm me udhyant jyotir-aha viraj vippm bhysaggas svh ||

By this oblation may my body become purified. I pray that I may become filled with the supreme
Light bereft of all obstructing karma and their cause: the desires that I harbour.

antartm me udhyant jyotir-aha viraj vippm bhysaggas

svh ||

By this oblation may all my internal organs become purified. I pray that I may become filled with
the supreme Light bereft of all obstructing karma and their cause: the desires that I harbour.
 21

paramtm me udhyant jyotir-aha viraj vippm bhysaggas

svh ||

By this oblation may my infinite Self become purified. I pray that I may become filled with the
supreme Light bereft of all obstructing karma and their cause: the desires that I harbour.

kudhe svh | kut-pipsya svh | viviyai svh | g-vidhnya

svh | kaot-kya svh | oggas svh ||

I make this oblation to hunger, to the conjoined deities of hunger and thirst, to the onipresent
Supreme, to the ordainer of the Rik chants, to the One who is invested in His projection of the
universe, I am the truth expressed by the praava.

kut-pipsa-mala jyehm alakmr naymyaham |

abhtim asamddhi ca sarvn niruda me ppmnaggas svh ||

O Lord through your grace I remove fro me the affliction of hunger, thirst, misfortune, adversity,
poverty and lack of progress etc. Efface my sins.

anna-maya pra-maya mano-maya vijna-mayam nanda-mayam

tm me udhyant jyotir-aha viraj vippm bhysaggas svh ||

By this oblation may my five-fold self consisting of the sheaths of nourishment, respiration, mind,
intellect, and bliss become purified. I pray that I may become filled with the supreme Light bereft
of all obstructing karma and their cause: the desires that I harbour.
 22

ivapackar mantra
1. sahit pha nama ivya ca |

2. padapha nama | ivya | ca |

3. kramapha nama ivya | ivya ca |

4. japha
nama ivya ivya ca namo nama ivya |
ivya ca ca ivya ivya ca ivya ca |

5. ghanapha
nama ivya ivya namo nama ivya ca ca ivya namo nama
ivya ca | ivya ca ca ivya ivya ca |

atamnam bhavati rvdam

1. sahit pha
atamna bhavatu atyu purua-atendriya
yuyevendriye prati tihati ||

2. krama pha
atamna bhavatu |
atamnam iti ata -mnam |
bhavatu atyu |
atyu purua |
atyur iti ata -yu |
purua atendriya |
atendriya yui |
atendriyaiti ata -indriya |
yuyeva |
eva prati |
prati tihati |
tihatti -tihati ||
 23

Gyatr mantra
o bh bhuva suva | tat savitu vareya bhargo devasya dhmahi
| dhiyo yo na pracodayt ||

1. ghanapha

tat savitus savitus tat tat savitur vareya vareyagu savitus tat tat
savitur vareya |

savitur vareya vareyagu savitus savitur vareya bhargo bhargo

vareyagu savitus savitur vareya bharga |

vareya bhargo bhargo vareya vareya bhargo devasya devasya

bhargo vareya vareya bhargo devasya |

bhargo devasya devasya bhargo bhargo devasya dhmahi dhmahi

devasya bhargo bhargo devasya dhmahi |

devasya dhmahi dhmahi devasya devasya dhmahi | dhmahti

dhmahi |

dhiyo yo yo dhiyo dhiyo yo no no yo dhiyo dhiyo yo na |

yo no no yo yo na pracodayt pracodayn no yo yo na pracodayt |

na pracodayt pracodayn no na pracodayt |

pracodayd iti pra-codayt ||

Karoti Rpi
1. sahit pha
karoti rpi juhoti rpair evaingu samardhayati tasy upotthya
karam japedie rante'dite sarasvati priye preyasi mahi virutyetni te
aghniye nmni sukta m deveu brtd iti devebhya evainam
vedayatyanvena dev budhyante |

He offers to her forms; verily he unites with her forms. Rising up he repeats into her ear: O Ida,
Ranti, Aditi, Sarasvati, Priya, Preyasi, Mahi Vishruti; these O Inviolable one are thy names,
proclaim me among the gods as the doer of good deeds. Verily she proclaims him among the gods,
and the gods take note of him. (Taittiriya Samhita 7:1:6:28)
 24
karoti | rpi | juhoti | rpai | eva | enm | samiti | ardhayati |
tasy | upotthya karam | eti | japet | ie | rante | adite | sarasvati
| priye | preyasi | mahi | viruti | etni | te | aghniye | nmni |
suktam | m | deveu | brutt | iti | devebhya | eva | enam | eti |
vedayati | anviti | dev | budhyante ||

2. krama pha

karoti rpi | virutyetni |

rpi juhoti | virutti vi - ruti |
juhoti rpai | etni te |
rpair-eva | te aghniye |
evainm | aghniye nmni |
engu sam | nmni suktam |
samardhayati | sukta m |
ardhayati tasy | suktamiti su - ktam |
tasy upotthya | m deveu |
upotthya karam | deveu brtt |
upotthyetyupa - utthya | brtd iti |
karam | iti devebhya |
japet | devebhya eva |
japedie | evainam |
ie rante | enam |
rantedite | vedayati |
adite sarasvati | vedayatyanu |
sarasvati priye | anvenam |
priye preyasi | ena dev |
preyasi mahi | dev budhyante |
mahi viruti | budhyanta iti budhyante ||
 25

3. jata pha
karoti rpi rpi karoti karoti rpi |
rpi juhoti juhoti rpi rpi juhoti |
juhoti rpai-rpair-juhoti juhoti rpai |
rpair-evaiva rpai-rpair-eva |
evainm-enm-evai-vainm |
engu sagu samenm-engu sam |
samardhayaty-ardhayati sagu samardhayati |
ardhayati tasys-tasy ardhayaty-ardhayati tasy |
tasy upotthyopotthya tasys-tasy upotthya |
upotthya kara karam upotthyopotthya karam |
upotthyety-upa - utthya |
karam kara karam |
japet japed japet |
japed-ia ie japej-japed-ie |
ie rante ranta ia ie rante |
rantedite-dite rante rante-dite |
adite sarasvati sarasvaty-adite-dite sarasvati |
sarasvati priye priye sarasvati sarasvati priye |
priye preyasi preyasi priye priye preyasi |
preyasi mahi mahi preyasi preyasi mahi |
mahi viruti viruti mahi mahi viruti |
virutyetnyetni viruti virutyetni |
virutti vi - ruti |
etni teta etnyetni te |
te aghniye aghniye te te aghniye |
aghniye nmni nmnyaghniye aghniye nmni |
 26

nmni suktagu sukta nmni nmni suktam |

sukta m m suktagu sukta m |
suktamiti su - ktam |
m deveu deveu m m deveu |
deveu brtt brtt deveu deveu brtt |
brtd itti brtt brtd iti |
iti devebhyo devebhya itti devebhya |
devebhya evaiva devebhyo devebhya eva |
evainam enam evai-vainam |
enam ainam enam |
vedayati vedayaty vedayati |
vedayaty-anvanu vedayati vedayaty-anu |
anvenam-enam-anvan-venam |
ena dev dev enam-ena dev |
dev budhyante budhyante dev dev budhyante |
budhyanta iti budhyante ||

4. ghana pha

karoti rpi rpi karoti karoti rpi juhoti juhoti rpi karoti
karoti rpi juhoti |
rpi juhoti juhoti rpi rpi juhoti rpairpair juhoti rpi
rpi juhoti rpai |
juhoti rpai-rpair juhoti juhoti rpair evaiva rpair juhoti juhoti rpair
eva |
rpair evaiva rpai rpair evainm enm eva rpai rpair evainm |
evainm enm evai-vaingu sagu samenm-evaivai ngu sam |
engu sagu samenm engu samardhayaty-ardhyati
 27

samenm engu samardhayati |

samardhayaty-ardhayati sagu samardhayati tasys-tasy
ardhayati sagu samardhayati tasy |
ardhayati tasys-tasy ardhayaty-ardhayati tasy
upotthyopotthya tasy ardhayaty-ardhayati tasy upotthya |
tasy upotthyopotthya tasys-tasy upotthya kara karam-
upotthya tasyas-tasy upotthya karam |
upotthya kara karam-upotthyopotthya karam karam
upotthyopotthya kara m |
upotthyety-upa - utthya |
karam kara karam japej-japed kara karam japet |
japet japed japed iaie japed japed ie |
japed ia ie japej-japed ie rante ranta ie japej-japed ie
rante |
ie rante ranta ia ie rante dite di te ranta ia ie rantedite |
rante-dite-dite rante rante-dite sarasvati sarasvaty-adite rante-dite
sarasvati |
adite sarasvati sarasvaty-adite-dite sarasvati priye priye sarasvaty-adite-
dite sarasvati priye |
sarasvati priye priye sarasvati sarasvati priye preyasi preyasi priye
sarasvati sarasvati priye preyasi |
priye preyasi preyasi priye priye preyasi mahi mahi preyasi priye priye
preyasi mahi |
preyasi mahi mahi preyasi preyasi mahi viruti viruti mahi preyasi
preyasi mahi viruti |
mahi viruti viruti mahi mahi viruty-etny-etni viruti mahi mahi
viruty-etni |
 28

viruty-etny-etni viruti viruty-etni teta etni viruti viruty-etni te

| virutti vi - ruti |
etni teta etny-etni te aghniye aghniye ta etny-etnite
aghniye |
te aghniye aghniye te te aghniye nmni nmny-aghniye te te aghniye
nmni |
aghniye nmni namnyaghniye aghniye nmni
suktagu sukta namnyaghniye aghniye nmni suktam |
nmni suktagu sukta nmni nmni sukta m m sukta
nmni nmni sukta m |
sukta m m suktagu sukta m deveu deveu m suktagu
sukta m deveu |
suktamiti su - ktam |
m deveu deveu m m deveu brtt brtt deveu m m deveu
brtt |
deveu brtt brtt deveu deveu brtd itti brtt deveu deveu
brtd iti |
brtd itti brtt brtd iti devebhyo devebhya iti brtt
brtd iti devebhya |
iti devebhyo devebhya itti devebhya evaiva devebhya itti devebhya
eva |
devebhya evaiva devebhyo devebhya evainam enam eva
devebhyo devebhya evainam |
evainam enam evaivainam ainam evai vainam |
enam-ainam-enam vedayati vedayaty-ainam-enam vedayati |
vedayati vedayaty vedayaty-anvanu vedayaty vedayaty-anu |
 29

vedayaty-anvanuvedayati vedayaty-anvenam enam-anu vedayati

vedayatyanvenam |
anvenam-ena manvan-vena dev dev enam-anvan-vena dev |
ena dev dev enam-ena dev budhyante budhyante dev enam
ena dev budhyante |
dev budhyante budhyante dev dev budhyante |
budhyanta iti budhyante ||

Forgiveness for mispronunciation

yad akara pada bhraha mtr hna tu yad bhavet |
tat sarva kamyat deva nryaa namostu te |
visarga bindu mtri pada padkareu ca |
nyntirikta yat kicit bhirgrbhir udrayet ||
O Lord Narayana! whatever mistakes I have made in pronunciation, mispronouncing syllables,
neglecting the metre and beat, dropping the various grammatical forms, elongating or shortening
vowels please forgive me for all of that and accept it as complete.